For about three months now the Howard County Probation Department has been issuing referrals to some of its clients suffering from addiction to opiates and alcohol. With that, they may take a monthly shot that not only lessens the cravings stemming from addiction, but it also renders drugs and alcohol effectively useless – incapable of generating a high for a user.

And according to probation officer Chuck McCoskey, thus far the program is successful. The program is so new numbers weren’t immediately available concerning how many total clients are taking Vivitrol, but McCoskey said about 15 of his clients have been using the treatment, which comes in the form of a monthly shot. As of now, many are proving successful in staying clean.